The Moon's a Balloon

Publisher's Summary

When
The Moon's a Balloon was first published in 1971, it received huge acclaim. The book became a classic and has gone on to sell over five million copies worldwide.
Rich in hilarious anecdote, it tells the story of Niven's school and Sandhurst days, his posting to Malta with the Highland Light Infantry, and how he escaped the army for a new life in the States. There he joined New York high society, before crossing the continent, lured by Hollywood. He returned to Britain to serve during the Second World War, but then made Hollywood his home.
A self-confessed name dropper, Niven's encounters range from garden walks with Churchill to finding Greta Garbo swimming naked in his pool.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful

Everything I had hoped it would be!

A fabulous book, beautifully written and skillfully delivered by this enchanting author. The book moves very quickly and packs in lots of information. I listened to it twice and the second time, I picked up a lot of the detail I lost in the first reading. David speaks beautifully and his charm exudes throughout. A book I will surely enjoy listening to again. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book!

Would you try another book written by David Niven or narrated by David Niven?

I adore David Niven's writing style and narration.

Would you recommend The Moon's a Balloon to your friends? Why or why not?

I cannot recommend this book because the abridgement leaves out so much of the written work.

What about David Niven’s performance did you like?

David Niven's delivery of the abridged autobiography is excellent.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

The lighthearted style of the writer/narrator made this a very good listen. There were some very sad passages and the emotions were alluded to, but it never became mawkish.

Any additional comments?

On the whole I was disappointed, probably because I had read the book when it was originally published and I am very aware of the huge gaps that the abridgement has left. It is such a shame as the book was one of the best of its type. I was going to buy and listen to the next instalment of David Niven's memoir, but I think that I will re-read the book instead - simply because I am so disappointed with this audiobook.